Air superiority

The air superiority tends to vary over time. For simplicity I’ve given a air superiority modifier which is dependent on year the game is being played in:

Year

Air Superiority Modifier

SCW

Republican

Nationalist

1936

+1

1937

1938-39

+1

WW2

Allied

Axis

1939-41

+1

1942-43

1944-45

+2

Planes, but are they ours?

There are two ways of assessing when planes are over the table.

Option 1: Contested skies

This rule tries to simply simulate a fluctuating situation where both sides have planes in the sky.

Each side throws 1d6 for air support at the start of their own initiative, adding or subtracting their Air Superiority as they choose. On a 6+ something happens:

If there is already an aircraft (of either side) over the table the aircraft is immediately driven off the table by enemy fighters. It or a replacement, however, can return in subsequent initiatives.

If there is no aircraft over the table then a plane friendly to the player whose initiative it is arrives over the table.

Option 2: All or nothing

Each side with aircraft rolls a d6 to determine air superiority in the game; if a side can’t have an aircraft then they effectively get 0 for this roll. The player with the higher score gets a plane; a draw means no plane for either side.

The difference between the air superiority rolls is the number of friendly initiatives in which the side with air superiority can deploy their plane over the table.

The plan first arrives on table on a 6 at the start of any friendly player initiative.

Ground Attack

Each bound the plane is on-table the player must draw a straight line across the table, representing the flight path. The aircraft can only attack targets along the flight path, and is only susceptible to AA fire along this path.

Once on-table aircraft act in a similar way to off table artillery. As with artillery fire, failure to suppress or kill with an aircraft’s attacks does not end the phasing player’s initiative. The ground attack process goes like this:

Player nominates the target and type of attack.

Anti-aircraft reactive fire is resolved.

If the aircraft is not driven off or shot down, determine the result of the ground attack itself.

Each plane has a certain number of bombs, of a certain potency (HE/EFF), plus machine guns for strafing. A plane’s bomb/rocket load is roughly analogous to the FM of artillery. Bombs/rockets are treated as indirect fire for Protective Cover and strafing with machine guns as direct fire. A plane can do one of the following each initiative it is on table:

Drop one or more of its remaining bombs (Dive Bombers can only drop one bomb per initiative)

Fire a pair of Rockets

Strafe with its machine guns

An aircraft may not engage the same target in two consecutive friendly initiatives.

Weapon

HE/EFF

Machine Guns

4/0 SQ

Small bomb (up to 100lb)

4/1 SQ

Light bomb (250lb)

4/2 SQ

Medium bomb (500lb)

5/3 SQ (2 EFF in structures)

Heavy bomb (1000lb+)

6/3 SQ (2 EFF in structures)

Pair of Rockets

4/2 SQ

Anti-vehicle fire: Rockets fire at vehicles with ACC +1 PEN -1, and always fire at the Flank ARM. Bombs use Hit the Dirt’s Special Rule 7 Indirect Fire on Vehicles.

Anti-aircraft (AA) fire

The non-phasing player can reactive fire against the plane as it attacks. Only one stand can perform AA fire this stand can be either:

Dedicated AA guns which are the target or with line of fire to the flight path. Such guns fire with their full effect against the aircraft (assume 4d6, unless otherwise known).

Other targets shoot with their normal factors (HE factors in the case of guns), less 1d6, e.g. a Rifle Squad shoots in AA with 2d6.

(Other stands cannot reactive fire against aircraft.)

The results of reactive AA fire are:

Hits

Effect

1

No effect

2

If aircraft is a Dive Bomber, then no effect. Otherwise the current attack is aborted. Two aborted attacks in consecutive initiatives means the plane is driven from the table.

3

Killed

Points Cost

If you’re using points to build your force then:

20 points for a chance to roll for air superiority

+20 points gives a +1 on the air superiority roll (can’t buy more than +1)

Example Aircraft

Aircraft

Role

Bombs

Rockets4/2 SQ

Comment

Heavy6/3 SQ

Medium5/3 SQ

Light4/2 SQ

Small 4/1 SQ

German

Focke Wulf FW 189 Uhu

Recon

–

–

–

2

–

–

Focke Wulf FW 190-A8

Dive Bomber

1

–

–

–

–

Skip Bomber

Henschel Hs 123

Dive Bomber

–

–

–

4

–

–

Henschel Hs 129

Ground Attack

–

–

2

–

–

–

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

Dive Bomber

1

2

–

–

–

–

Junkers Ju 88

Bomber

–

8

–

–

–

–

Me Bf 109 G

Fighter Bomber

–

2

–

–

–

–

Me Bf 110

Fighter Bomber

–

4

–

–

–

–

Me 262

Fighter Bomber

–

2

–

–

–

–

Italian

Caproni Ca 314

Bomber

–

3

–

–

–

–

Fiat CR 42

Fighter

–

–

2

–

–

–

MC 200

Fighter

–

–

2

–

–

–

Soviet

La-5 FN

Fighter

–

–

–

3

–

–

Petlyakov Pe-2

Bomber

–

2

4

–

–

–

Petlyakov Pe-2

Dive Bomber

1

2

–

–

–

–

PO-2

Ground attack

–

–

–

2

–

–

Polikarpov I-153

Fighter

–

–

–

2

–

–

Polikarpov I-16 Mosca

Fighter

–

–

–

2

–

Used in SCW and WW2.

Ilyushin IL-2

Ground Attack

–

–

4

–

–

–

Ilyushi IL-2m3

Ground Attack

–

–

6

–

–

–

Tupolev SB 2

Bomber

–

–

6

–

–

Light payload. Used in SCW and WW2.

Tupolev SB 2

Bomber

1

–

–

–

–

Heavy payload. Used in SCW and WW2.

Sukhoi Su-2

Bomber

–

–

4

–

–

–

Tupolev Tu-2

Bomber

5

–

–

–

–

Although a bomber, it could be used as a dive bomber and was equipped to strafe. Can replace all heavies with 10 mediums

Tupolev Tu-2

Dive Bomber

5

–

–

–

–

Although a bomber, it could be used as a dive bomber and was equipped to strafe. Can replace all heavies with 10 mediums

2 comments to Aircraft and Air Superiority in Crossfire

Thanks for writing these up, I have just tried out your a/c rules for Crossfire. They make a great addition to the game. Wasn’t sure how long you intended them to stay over the table, so I used Arty’s Spearhead rule where essentially they turn up, do one attack and leave. I thought that worked quite well. Please read my report and feel free to leave any comments.

Glad you found it useful. In my rules the plane hangs around. Depending on which option you choose they either (i) stay around until the either side rolls a 6+ in the air support phase; at that point any plane over the table (of either side) is driven off by fighters. (ii) the plane is available for a number of initiatives (the difference between the air superiority rolls). And thanks for the link to the AAR.